Dairy bottle closure



March 13, 1956 C. L. WENZEL DAIRY BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed Jan. 29, 1951 United StatesPatent O 2,738,089 DAIRY BOTTLE'CLOSURE Clyde .L. WenzeLBelvidere, lll., assignor to Mid-West Bottle Cap Co., Belvidere, 11]., a corporation of I11!- nois This invention relates to bottle closures, and in particu-. lar to hood type metal foil bottle caps for dairy bottles.

An object of this invention is to provide a bottle cap which is formed 'to have a strengthening portion which resists deformation of the bottle cap from its desired shape prior to the bottle capping operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle cap of thin material which does not require especially careful handling before the bottle capping operation;

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle cap which may be sealed to the bottle mouth more effec tively without requiring other than standard bottle capping apparatus operated in a conventional way.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

1n the drawing: A

Figure l is a top view showing the bottle cap according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is afragmentary sectional viewof two bottle caps according to the present invention which are stacked in nested relation;

Fig. 4, partly in section, shows a conventional bottle sealing apparatus, along with the bottle cap of the present invention seated on the bottle mouth before the capsealing operation, and i Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and showing the parts during the sealing of the cap on the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, the cap is formed as an integral structure having a bottle mouth spanning portion, an annular strengthening rib, and a depending annular skirt connected thereto. In the preferred form herein described, the cap is formed as. a laminated structure consisting of an outer metal foil layer 11, a layer of paper 12, and an adhesive 13 joining the metal foil and paper layers.

The cap is formed with a central circular portion 14 which is flat and which spans the mouth of the dairy bottle, so that the periphery of this central portion 14 rests on the top'15 of the bottle mouth. Around the periphery of this central portion is formed an integral rib 16. This rib 16 is formed by displacing the laminated material of the bottle cap to extend above the plane of the flat mouth-spanning portion 14 and then downwardly to its juncture with the depending skirt portion 17, this juncture being below the plane of the mouth-spanning portion 14. As is most readily apparent from Fig, 3, the rib formation is approximately arcuate in cross. section. A rather well-defined line of demarcation 18 is formed at the juncture between the central, portion 14 and rib 16, Likewise a clear separation line 19 is. formed where rib 16 connects to depending skirt 17. This con struction insures that rib 16 will retain its shape and its position displaced from the plane of mouth-spanning portion 14. Skirt17 is flared outwardly; and downwardly from rib- 16 and is formed with fold; lines 17a', -11b ex- 2 2 tending from its lower periphery to its juncture with the rib 16.

One important advantage of the bottle cap constructed according to the present invention is the increased strength and rigidity imparted to the cap by the upraised rib construction 16. It has been found that with this construction the flat, planar shape of the mouth-spanning portion 14 is maintained in spite of rough or careless handling. By holding its shape in this manner, the likelihood of misalignment with the bottle mouth during the capping operation is avoided. Also, it has been found that the laminated construction of the cap may be reduced in thickness by about ten percent (10%) from that of a cap not having the strengthening rib without resulting in warpage of the cap,so that a considerable economy is effected by this saving in material. In addition, manufacture of the cap and feeding of the cap out of the forming apparatus is facilitated by the added rigidity imparted by the hollow annular rib. With the laminated construction thus far described, successful results have been obtained using a metal foil layer of about 0.002 inch in thickness (plus or minus 10 percent), with the paper layer being of the same order of thickness.

From Fig. 3 it will be seen that when the caps are stacked in nested relation, one above the other, the adjacent caps engage at their skirts and at the outer portion of the ribs 16 adjacent the skirts. Because of this, the flat mouth-spanning portions are held in spaced relation, with the bottom face of the lower paper ply 12 of the upper cap being out of contact with the top face of the upper metal foil ply of the lower cap. Should it be desired to print inked indicia on the mouth-spanning portions of the caps the present construction permits the inked caps to be stacked and packaged while the ink is still wet, since smearing by contact between adjacent stacked caps is avoided.

The capping operation may be performed by any apparatus suitable for that purpose. For purposes of illustration, the capping operation will be discussed by refertions by means other than therein described. In Figs. 4

and 5, the cap thickness and the movement of the sealing apparatus are somewhat. exaggerated in order to more clearly bring out the action during sealing. i

For the capping operation, the cap is delivered by any suitable means to the position shown in Fig. 4, where it is loosely seated over thebottle month. In this position, the flat central portion 14 of the cap spans the entire opening formed at the bottle mouth, with the circular periphery of the central portion resting on the top 15 of the bead 20 of the bottle in spaced relation from the outer periphery thereof. Normally, the bead of the bottle. will be slightly smaller than the interior of the bottle cap, so that in this position the skirt 17 and the outer side of rib 16 will be out of engagement with the peripheral side face of the bead of the bottle.

The capping apparatus is here shown as including a flexible, resilient sealing head 21, preferably of vulcanized rubber, and cup-shaped to fit above and around the cap positioned on the bottle. In this position, the sealing head engages the bottle cap at rib 16 thereof and the depending flange 21a of the sealing head extends somewhat loosely around the skirt 17 of the bottle cap. The sealing head is seated under compression in flange 22 which is secured. to shaft 23. Pivotally seated at 24 between flange. 23 and an annular collar 25' positioned about shaft 23.2ar'e: a plurality of rigid fingers 26 which engage at their. lower ends with the lower. peripheral margin of the flange 2.1a: depending from the. sealing head.,, It will Patented Mar. 13, 1956 26 may be provided to extend axially of shaft 23, and to engage around the lower periphery of resilient sealing head 21. Rings 27 and 28, respectively, surround the fingers to hold the same in assembled relation and urge them into the undisplaced position shown in Fig. 4. Aligned vents 29, 3d are formed in the sealing head and shaft, respectively, to permit the escape of air during the sealing operation.

ireferably, the cap sealingapparatus includes a spreader block (not shown) which moves axially downward along the shaft to spread apart the upper ends of fingers 26. Since these fingers are supported on flange 22, their engagement by the downwardly moving block imparts a downward thrust to flange 22 which is transmitted through the sealing head to the bottle cap. The cap, at its rib portion 16, is forced downwardly against the bottie mouth. It will be noted that the hollow annular rib construction provides a smooth curved surface having no folds therein and adapted to be flattened against the bottle contour during sealing. During sealing, when the rib is flattened against the head of the bottle, the separation line 18 between the rib and the mouth-spanning portion remains seated on the top surface of the bottle mouth while the separation line 19 between the rib and skirt 17 is displaced downwardly along the outer wall of the bead of the bottle. The entire annular rib area between these separation lines is flattened to lie smoothly against the head of the bottle in intimate contact therewith. This provides a very effective sealing area extending from the top of the bottle mouth to the annular line positioned downwardly on the outer side wall of the bead, to which separation line 19 is displaced by the sealing action.

Spreading apart of the upper ends of fingers 26 also results in rocking of the fingers about their pivots 24 to force radially inwardly the lower ends of the fingers. This force is imparted through flange 21a of the sealing head to the depending skirt 17 on the cap to urge the latter into intimate contact with the periphery of the bead of the bottle. Because of the outwardly flared shape of flange 21a on the sealing head the contraction of the flange necessary to force skirt 17 inwardly is less near the top of the bottle bead than at the bottom. Therefore, actuation of fingers 26 results in a progressive downward working of skirt 17 into engagement with the bead of the bottle. This engagement between the skirt and the bottle takes places slightly after the rib has been flattened out to effect a seal with the top of the bottle. It will be understood that during this action the skirt overlaps itself about its fold lines in changing from the flared configuration to the more restricted shape in contiguity with the bead of the bottle.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the configuration of the bottle cap according to the present invention permits of a seal at the bottle mouth which is of increased effectiveness because of the greater cap area in intimate contact with the bottle mouth. Further, it has been demonstrated that such a seal can be effected by using conventional cap sealing machinery (not forming a part of this invention) operated in the conventional manner.

While the preferred embodiment of my bottle cap has been described as being a paper-metal foil laminate, it is to be understood that the cap may be metal foil only without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim:

1. A partially preformed hood type milk bottle cap of laminated form including an outer layer of thin metal foil having a thickness of the order of .002 inch and an inner layer of thin foldable sheet material, said cap comprising a flat bottle-mouth spanning portion dimensioned to seat entirely around its periphery on the upper face of the bottle mouth in spaced relation to the outer periphery thereof, an annular portion formed integrally with the periphery of the mouth spanning portion and shaped in the form of a smooth annular reinforcing channel, a crease line at the juncture of said channel with said mouth spanning portion forming a well-defined line of separation therebetween, said channel being curved in cross section and extending upwardly and outwardly from the mouth spanning portion in a smooth continuous curve to a point above the plane of the mouth spanning portion then downwardly and outwardly in the same continuous curve to a point below the plane of the mouth spanning portion, whereby the periphery of the mouth spanning portion and said channel shaped annular portion are arranged to be pressed into conformity with the upper face and outer periphery of the bottle mouth during a capping operation and the channel thereby obliterated to provide a seal between said annular portion and the bottle, an annular pleated skirt connected on the outer peripheral edge of the channel and depending in outwardly flared relation therefrom, and a crease line formed at the juncture of the pleated skirt and the outer edge of the channel forming a well-defined line of separation between the pleated skirt and the smooth reinforcing channel.

2. A partially preformed hood type milk bottle cap of laminated form including a thin metal foil outer layer having a thickness of the order of .002 inch and an inner layer of foldable sheet material, said cap comprising a flat bottle-mouth spanning portion dimensioned to seat entirely around its periphery on the upper face of the bottle mouth in spaced relation to the outer periphery thereof, an annular portion formed integrally with the periphery of the mouth spanning portion and shaped in the form of a smooth annular reinforcing channel, a crease line at the juncture of said channel with said mouth spanning portion forming a well-defined line of separation therebetween, said channel being curved in cross section and extending upwardly and outwardly from the mouth spanning portion in a smooth continuous curve to a point above the plane of the mouth spanning portion and then downwardly and outwardly in the same continuous curve and terminating in a substantially straight outer end portion which diverges downwardly and outwardly to a point below the plane of the mouth spanning portion, whereby the periphery of said mouth spanning portion and said annular portion are arranged to be pressed into conformity with the upper face and outer periphery of the bottle month during a capping operation and the channel thereby obliterated to provide a seal between said annular portion and the bottle, an annular pleated skirt connected to the outer peripheral edge of the channel and depending in outwardly flared relation therefrom, and a crease line formed at the juncture of the pleated skirt and the outer edge of the channel forming a well-defined line of separation between the pleated skirt and the smooth reinforcing channel.

3. A partially preformed hood type milk bottle cap of laminated form including a thin metal foil outer layer having a thickness of the order of .002 inch and an inner layer of foldable sheet material, said cap comprising a flat bottle-mouth spanning portion dimensioned to seat entirely around its periphery on the upper face of the bottle mouth in spaced relation to the outer periphery thereof, an annular portion formed integrally with the periphery of the mouth spanning portion and shaped in the form of a smooth annular reinforcing channel, a crease line at the juncture of said channel with said mouth spanning portion forming a well-defined line of separation therebetween, said channel being curved in cross section and extending upwardly and outwardly from the mouth spanning portion in a smooth continuous curve to a point above the plane of the mouth spanning portion and then downwardly and outwardly in the same continuous curve and terminating in a substantially straight outer end portion which diverges downwardly and outwardly to a point below the plane of the mouth spanning portion and said annular portion are arranged to be pressed into conformitywith the upper face and outer periphery of the bottle mouth during a capping operation and the channel thereby obliterated to provide a seal between the annular portion and the bottle, an annular pleated skirt connected to the outer peripheral edge of the channel and diverging'outwardly and downwardly therefrom at a relatively greater anglethan the angle of divergence of the straight outer end portion of the channel, and a crease line formed at therjuncture of the pleated skirt with the outer edge of the channel form ing a well-defined line of separation between the pleated skirt and the smooth reinforcing channel.

spanning portion, whereby the periphery of the mouth References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wood Dec. 13, 1904 Januchowsky Feb. 26, 1918 Tevander Mar. 30, 1920 Wallace et al Feb. 18, 1930 Carew Mar. 23, 1937 Fergren Nov. 16, 1937 Moore June 14, 1938 Young Dec. 27, 1938 Sonnenberg Oct. 31, 1944 Sonnenberg Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark Oct. 1, 1945 

